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Where Lightning Strikes
Monster Hunter: Where Lightning Strikes is a 2018 science-fiction action novel written by Ryan Ray Martinus Lee. The story follows Tess Williams as she attempts to discover the source of a fierce thunderstorm that threatens the safety of Dundorma and its neighboring towns, leading to her encounter with the mythical Elder Dragon known as Kirin. Other monsters set to appear in the novel include Rathalos, Tigrex, Najarala and Rajang. The novel also introduces supporting character Ben, who is a Knight of the Hunter's Guild. The novel is expected to be published sometime in late 2018. Summary Tess Williams is a renowned hunter for the Hunter's Guild, always looking for new challenges and helping to maintain order in the city of Dundorma. More than often she spends her time on assignments in the Everwood, hunting down the more dangerous monsters and collecting data for the Guild's research division. But for Tess, becoming a G-Rank hunter is the one thing she has strived for her entire life. During an assignment in the village of Bherna, a fierce thunderstorm materializes in the sky; the first in almost forty years. And, according to the researchers, the thunderstorm signifies the emergence of the extremely rare Elder Dragon Kirin. It is here that Tess begins the first step of her journey toward becoming a G-Rank hunter. Plot Synopsis The story opens in the Everwood, introducing the reader(s) to main protagonist Tess Williams. It is revealed that the Flying Wyvern Tigrex has wounded several of the Guild's best hunters for the past two months, and Tess decided to spend her free time locating and neutralizing the threat. She tracks the Tigrex into one of the ancient ruins of the Everwood, where a fierce battle takes place. The battle quickly leads to a nest belonging to a Snake Wyvern known as Najarala, who soon makes its presence known. Utilizing Flash Bombs to her advantage, Tess succeeds in slaying the Tigrex. Returning to camp, Tess meets up with her partner, Guild Receptionist Michelle. Tess reports the success of her mission; the news of which relieves Michelle. Tess also informs Michelle that there's a pissed off Najarala roaming around, and she believes it will pose a threat to their fellow hunters as the Tigrex previously did. Michelle acknowledges her concern, but recommends delivering a report back to the Guild and waiting for their next assignment. Returning to the city of Dundorma, Tess is greeted by her childhood friend David, also a hunter of the Guild. They are promptly welcomed back by the Guild Knights Ben and Kevin, who were sent to retrieve them. The two are brought before the Guild's Analytics Director Chase and his Wyverian Researcher assistant Evan, who expresses his gratitude to Tess for her "tremendous work." Chase thanks Tess for helping out with the Tigrex problem and informs her that there's been some trouble near Bherna and the Guild's been called to settle the problem. Evan explains that Bherna has been attacked several times now by a very angry Anjanath, the very same Brute Wyvern whose material was used to craft the armor Tess wears. Evan also warns them that a Rathian has been located in the vicinity, but does not pose any danger at the present moment. Ben hands Michelle a message containing the details of their assignment, and says that he's been assigned to provide backup. After collecting her equipment, Tess meets up with Michelle and Ben outside the city walls, and the trio set out on their assignment. On the way to Bherna, the trio comes under attack by the Rathian Evan warned them about. Tess is able to repel the Flying Wyvern and the three hunters make it to the village. There they encounter Guild hunter Chan, who has been living in Bherna to help defend from the Anjanath attacks. Ben instructs Chan to return to Dundorma and leave the Anjanath to his team, but Chan insists on helping out as much as possible. While Michelle speaks to the villagers for more information, Tess heads out to the forest with Chan to locate their target. During their investigation, Chan unintentionally pisses off a patrolling Rajang, which nearly kills him before Tess drives it off. Tess lectures Chan about his recklessness and warns him against stupid actions like those that could put others at risk. Before long, the Anjanath emerges and wrecks havoc on the outskirts of the village, though a combined effort between Ben and the local Wyverian hunters are successful in repelling the beast. Tess and Chan soon return to the village and are informed of the attack, before heading out with Ben while Michelle remains to help repair the damages done in the attack. The hunters soon encounter the Anjanath out in the woods and engage in a fierce battle with the beast. Eventually, the Anjanath is beaten when Chan lures it into a cavern, allowing Ben to collapse the tunnel on top of the beast, trapping it for good. Tess acknowledges Chan's heroic actions and then informs Ben that they might have another problem: Rajang. The hunters return to Bherna for some rest and preparations. Ben talks with the Wyverians and sends a messenger back to Dundorma to deliver a report to the Guild, while Michelle and Tess head out to find anything that could point them to the whereabouts of the angry Rajang. Deep in the woods, Tess discovers evidence of Rajang's presence, confirming that the beast is still lurking nearby. Michelle is attacked by the Rathian while checking out the spot where Chan and Tess first encountered Rajang, and is taken back to the beast's nest high in the trees. Tess gives chase and engages Rathian in the trees, before eventually slaying the beast and rescuing her partner. Michelle thanks Tess for the save, and suggests they return to Bherna before anything else happens. On their way back to Bherna, they come face-to-face with the Rajang, and Tess sends Michelle ahead to safety while she holds off the beast. Tess engages the Rajang in a brief, but intense battle, until a thunderstorm materializes in the skies above. Rajang makes its getaway as Tess seeks cover from the lightning in a cave. In the Everwood, David is on the prowl searching for the Najarala previously encountered by Tess when he notices the thunderstorm overhead and is forced to take cover inside the forest's ruins. At the same time, the thunderstorm can be seen from both Bherna and Dundorma; described as being the biggest thunderstorm to be seen since almost forty years. Michelle is discussing the current situation with Ben when Tess finally returns a couple hours after the storm materialized. The Wyverian messenger soon returns from the city with a response from the Guild: Tess, Ben and Michelle are ordered back to Dundorma for their next assignment. Chan remains behind in the village to continue the search for the Rajang while Tess, Michelle and Ben return to Dundorma to report to the Guild. A short distance from Dundorma's walls, Tess, Michelle and Ben cross paths with the Guild Knight Kevin and "A-Lister" David, who are shown to have engaged an angry Rathalos. Tess and Ben race to help, and the Rathalos retreats after a brief battle with the four hunters. Kevin thanks them for the help, explaining to them that the Rathalos had recently begun attacking the walls, though the reason for it remains unknown. Ben then inquires to how Dundorma has been handling the appearance of the thunderstorm. David promptly reveals that's the reason why they've been summoned back; the researchers have come up with a theory relating to the thunderstorm. Tess and Michelle are taken to Evan, who is shown to be in the middle of a conversation with Chase. Chase turns his attention to Tess and Michelle, stating that they're just in time. Chase explains that the thunderstorm has really riled up the monsters around Dundorma, which is revealed to be part of the reason as to why the Rathalos had suddenly begun to attack the walls. Michelle notes that nobody has seen a thunderstorm of this scale in almost forty years, to which Evan reveals to them his theory: the thunderstorm signifies the appearance of an Elder Dragon that few have had the honors of witnessing in action. Tess is skeptical that a Kirin could be responsible, but agrees with Michelle and Ben that it is at least possible. Chase then informs them that they have been summoned to help investigate the possible appearance of a Kirin. Evan provides them with the location where the thunderstorm is strongest: an ancient Tower that climbs beyond the clouds. He warns them to be careful, as many different species of monsters have been known to inhabit the Tower and its surroundings. After receiving their assignment, Tess and Michelle head down to the market to gather supplies for the journey. Meanwhile, Ben is assigned to help Kevin and David deal with the encroaching Rathalos before it can cause serious damage to the wall. Ben travels back to the Everwood in the company of Kevin and David, in order to track down the Rathalos. Though they manage to find tracks left behind by Rathalos, they instead come face-to-face with the Najarala previously encountered by Tess earlier in the story. A fierce battle takes place, after which they succeed in slaying the Najarala. The Rathalos soon reappears, having been drawn by the battle. Ben, Kevin and David are shown to stand their ground as the Rathalos descends, before the novel transitions to Tess and Michelle as they approach the Tower to begin their investigation. Michelle notes that Evan was right about the thunderstorm being strongest here, and that there are traces of other monsters inhabiting the structure. Tess proceeds into the Tower alone to investigate, discovering that there are very few monsters still inhabiting the zone. Inside the structure, Tess stumbles upon the nesting grounds of the Elder Dragon Kushala Daora, though there is no sign of the Elder Dragon itself present. Part of the Tower begins to collapse as a result of the raging thunderstorm, and Tess is just barely able to proceed to the higher levels, where she briefly encounters a Rathalos. Eventually, Tess reaches the Tower Summit, where the thunderstorm is at its most strongest. It is here that Tess has her first encounter with the mythical Kirin. Without the necessary equipment to engage the Kirin, Tess is forced to retreat from the Tower Summit while under attack by the Kirin's lightning attacks. Rejoining Michelle on ground level, Tess confirms Evan's theory and suggests they head back to formulate a plan before continuing on. At the same time, Ben, Kevin and David battle the Rathalos in the Everwood's ancient ruins. The battle soon tips in the hunters' favor when David manages to damage the wings of the Rathalos, disabling its ability to fly properly. Without its ability to fly, Rathalos is quickly defeated by the hunters and succumbs to wounds sustained in the battle. It is at this point the thunderstorm begins to intensify, prompting Kevin to suggest they get back to the safety of Dundorma. Tess and Michelle are revealed to have already returned from their assignment when Ben, Kevin and David return, and are discussing the situation with Chase and Evan. When Ben joins their discussion, Michelle fills him in on their discovery at the Tower. The confirmation of Kirin's appearance combined with the thunderstorm's growing intensity leads Ben to suspect that the Kirin is increasing its power, and that it has to be stopped before it can fully charge itself. Chase agrees that taking out Kirin is the only way to stop the thunderstorm, and is convinced that Tess is the right person for the job. Ben asks Tess if she's willing to take on such a dangerous task, to which Tess says she'll do whatever she can to help out. In order to provide her with an edge, Chase has Evan share all their research on Kirin's physiology and abilities with Tess and Michelle. Meanwhile, Chan is shown to be tracking the Rajang through the forests, where he instead attracts the attention of a Tobi-Kadachi. The Tobi-Kadachi proves to be a difficult monster, using the trees to charge up its lightning abilities. Fortunately for Chan, Tess and Michelle are travelling through the forest on their way to the Tower, and stop by to lend a hand. The Tobi-Kadachi battles the hunters fiercely, but is ultimately defeated and killed. The encounter is enough for Michelle to discover that the thunderstorm caused by Kirin is providing a seemingly limitless source of energy for monsters like Tobi-Kadachi and Rajang. Now in the company of Chan, Tess and Michelle head for the Tower to dispose of the Elder Dragon once and for all. The Kirin reappears shortly after they reach the Tower entrance, using its lightning attacks to incapacitate both Tess and Chan almost immediately. As the Kirin advances on a defenseless Michelle, Rajang appears and engages Kirin in battle. The Rajang quickly gains the upper hand, and Kirin begins to retreat. As Michelle watches, the Rajang unleashes a powerful attack intended to finish off Kirin, but the Elder Dragon uses its remaining power to escape at the last second. Tess recovers just in time to repel Rajang as it turns its attention to Michelle, and then goes to check on Chan. With their target no longer present, Michelle suggests taking Chan back to Dundorma for treatment and come up with a plan to take out the Rajang. Upon their return to Dundorma, they learn from Kevin that the city was attacked simultaneously by both a Monoblos and a Diablos. Kevin explains that the attack was brief, but resulted in major damage to the city's Dragonator. Michelle volunteers to remain behind to look after a recovering Chan while Tess leaves to track down Monoblos and Diablos before they can attack the city again. After being equipped with some new weapons by Kevin, Tess heads out to the Old Desert to begin her investigation. Shortly after arriving at the Old Desert, Tess discovers evidence of a Tigrex roaming about. It does not take long for Tess to locate Diablos' lair, however, she discovers no evidence of the monster itself inhabiting the cavern. Proceeding into the cavern, Tess attempts to find clues to help her track down the monster, only to discover that a Monoblos has taken control of the Diablos' lair. It isn't long before the Monoblos detects Tess' presence and pursues her to the cavern's entrance, where a fierce battle takes place. After a long and difficult battle, Tess manages to severely wound the Monoblos, which is then killed by a returning Diablos while trying to escape. The encounter reveals to Tess that both monsters had been engaged in a turf war, which she helped Diablos win by severely weakening the Monoblos. As she is still in its territory, the Diablos turns its attention to Tess, forcing her into another fierce battle. Ben soon arrives on the scene with Kevin and David, just in time to witness Tess bringing an end to the Diablos' reign of terror. Kevin informs Tess that they've managed to track down the Rajang, which David believes must be stopped in order for them to have any chance of defeating the Kirin at the Tower. While Ben and Kevin remain behind at the Old Desert to collect samples from the defeated monsters, Tess and David head for the Snowy Mountains. Their investigation brings them into the territory of a Barioth, which aggressively attacks the two hunters before it becomes a target of the rampaging Rajang. David charges the Rajang moments after the Barioth is killed, and is incapacitated almost instantly when the Rajang tosses the Barioth aside. Tess engages the angry Rajang in a fierce battle. The Rajang proves a difficult opponent, keeping Tess on the offensive with bursts of lightning. Eventually, Tess succeeds in slaying the Rajang, though her Dual Blades are damaged beyond repair. With the rampaging menace dealt with, Tess and David return to Dundorma to prepare for their next assignment. In the city, Kevin takes Tess to replace her damaged weapons with a new set. While discussing the current situation with the Ecological Research Team, Tess learns that Ben left shortly before their return to locate the Kirin near the Tower. She immediately heads out with Michelle and returns to the Tower, where the thunderstorm is at the peak of its power. Ben is seen checking out the recently deceased carcass of a Rathalos when Tess and Michelle finds him, and informs them that the Kirin is at the top of the Tower. He suggests that Tess prepare for anything, as this is it; once she heads to the top of the Tower, there's no turning back. Tess confidently says that she's ready, and ascends the Tower alone to confront the elusive Elder Dragon. She is attacked immediately once she reaches the top of the Tower, and finds herself face-to-face with the Kirin. The battle proves difficult, with the Kirin channelling its power through the thunderstorm. At first, Tess is kept on the offensive as the Kirin repeatedly attacks her with its most powerful attacks. Eventually, the tide of the battle is turned when Tess is able to break off the Kirin's horn, disabling its ability to properly control its lightning attacks. Despite this, the Kirin continues its relentless attack and causes the Tower to begin breaking apart. Tess is eventually able to land the killing blow, and makes her descent through the collapsing Tower. As the Tower collapses, Tess regroups with Ben and Michelle. With the Kirin slain, the thunderstorm quickly disperses. A short time later, Tess returns to Dundorma with Ben and Michelle. Their return is greeted with applause from the city's citizens, and Chase offers them a congratulations on behalf of the Hunter's Guild. Michelle delivers Kirin material to the Ecological Research Team while Ben goes to deliver a report to the Guild. Later, Tess is seen crafting a new set of armor made from Kirin materials when Kevin knocks on her door; a new assignment from the Hunter's Guild. Tess collects her equipment and, after thanking Kevin, goes to meet up with Michelle for their next assignment. Cast Main * Tess Williams * Michelle * Ben Other * Chase * Evan * Kevin * Chan * David Monsters * Kirin * Rathalos * Tigrex * Najarala * Anjanath * Rajang * Rathian * Tobi-Kadachi * Monoblos * Diablos * 'Barioth '(cameo) Notes * While Kirin is featured on the novel's cover and serves as the primary antagonist, the Rajang seems to fill the role of a secondary antagonist, being the biggest threat next to Kirin.